About this course
Do you want to make a difference to the lives of learners of all ages with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND)? In an increasingly diverse global society, there is a developing awareness of systems, practices and environments which enable people to achieve and develop to their individual potential. With our unique BA (Hons) Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion degree, you will explore the role of education in promoting inclusion, helping you to gain experience and specialist knowledge to enable you to achieve your professional aspirations. This degree is for those planning a fulfilling career in a diverse range of areas, including primary or further education teaching, as well as roles in the community.
We will explore the concepts of inclusion, marginalisation, and disability both within education and across wider society through a range of exciting modules, helping you to understand and respond to complex issues in professional practice. You will get to grips with the concept of SEND and inclusion within wider education. You will also examine complex issues surrounding inclusive provision in education and wider society. You will be graduating with a wealth of valuable personable experience and knowledge, but also the understanding to empower you as an advocate for marginalised individuals and groups.
From day one, we’ll help you give real-life context to your studies and gain hands-on experience. Enhanced work-based learning and placement opportunities available through the Nottingham Institute of Education (NIoE) will give you industry experience - making you even more attractive to future employers. So, whether you’re new to the world of work or are planning a career change, you will be well prepared with our extensive network of 600 partnerships in settings, schools, colleges and the community.
This course is delivered through the Nottingham Institute of Education.
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Hands-on experience in all years of your course in a variety of educational employment roles through over 600 partnerships with local schools, colleges and health care organisations. -
Highly qualified tutors who are experts in their fields, and actively engaged in consultancy, training, and innovative research at the fore of new educational thinking. -
In Year Three, achieve up to 40 integrated credits at level 7, allowing you to submit work at Masters level, giving you the opportunity to transition APAL onto a part-time Masters in education programme. -
Practical opportunities and exceptional facilities, such as our Clifton Forest School, as well as opportunities to engage in sensory integration activities and Rebound Therapy.
of BA (Hons) Education Studies and Special and Inclusive Education graduates were in high-skilled jobs 15 months after completing their studies (Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2020/21)
What you’ll study
The BA (Hons) Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion degree is for those interested in working with learners of all ages with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities. It explores national and international inclusive practice for all learners and examines a range of theoretical discourses alongside practical strategies and interventions.
It includes experiential learning opportunities throughout educational and other settings, across all age phases incorporating multidisciplinary approaches. The course creates valuable employment opportunities for mainstream and specialist education and associated professions and other academic development routes.
Whose Responsibility is Inclusion? (20 credit points)
- This module investigates key concepts and issues around inclusion.
- You’ll explore changing attitudes and approaches to learners with a range of diverse needs.
- You’ll learn about differing perspectives on inclusion and identify how these have influenced educational practice and provision for learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Learning in the Outdoors for All (20 credit points)
- This module reflects on the potential of learning outdoors for all children and young people.
- This includes understanding the role practitioners play in supporting children’s growing sense of self.
What is Education? (20 credit points)
- This module examines the process of education, as well as its wider meaning within society and politics.
- You’ll consider what education is, who is it for, and how power relations shape educational experiences.
- Key educational issues at national and international level will be explored in several contexts including formal, informal and alternative forms of education throughout life.
Introducing Special Educational Needs and Disability (20 credit points)
- This module introduces what we mean by Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).
- You’ll learn how the term is defined in legislation and educational policy and practice, as well as considering issues of labelling.
- It will look at those with a range of additional needs, such as those on the autism spectrum, those with Down's Syndrome, dyslexia, Social and Emotional Difficulties and Mental Health (SEMH) and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD).
Developing Academic and Professional Practice (20 credit points)
- This module supports you in your transition into Higher Education and in understanding what is expected at this level of study and beyond.
- You’ll learn academic skills and theoretical knowledge within inclusive practice in a service or setting with diverse learners.
Inclusive Communication (20 credit points)
- This module explores the importance of communication as the foundation of learning and development.
- This includes the challenges and barriers to communication, as well as the importance of communication as a professional tool for working with families and colleagues across education and beyond.
Professional Placement (20 credit points)
- You’ll develop professional skills through work-based learning in a placement setting which focuses on inclusive practice.
- Whilst on your placement, you’ll be expected to reflect critically upon your own individual placement experiences.
Disability and Society (20 credit points)
- This module explores the key issues that affect the lives of children and adults with disabilities and the impact these have on their opportunities to participate fully in learning and in society.
- Links will be made to the broader concepts of human rights and social justice.
Meaningful Movement (20 credit points)
- This module examines the complexities of independent and organised physical activities for learners with a range of needs and disabilities.
- You’ll critically review existing physical education expectations and consider the challenges and limitations these may present for diverse groups and individuals with SEND.
Becoming an Inclusive Researcher (20 credit points)
- This module focuses on research design in Education, specifically in the context of SEND.
- You’ll consider how research can be made inclusive for ALL participants including those who require creative or adapted methods.
Inclusive Education in a Global World (20 credit points)
- This module introduces marginalisation in education and in a wider society.
- You’ll focus on specific marginalised groups targeted by inclusion-focused initiatives in education.
- You’ll cover international projects that facilitate the development of inclusive education.
- You’ll also consider ways in which inclusion-related efforts could be improved as well as their limitations.
Inclusion in Practice (20 credit points)
- This module explores how learning environments can be made more inclusive of learners with a range of special educational needs or disabilities.
- You’ll explore a range of inclusive practices, the literature around good practice in implementation and the challenges inherent in implementing them.
Research Project (40 credit points)
- You’ll research and write a dissertation in an area of your own academic interest, in relation to Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion.
Supporting Diverse Learners (40 credit points)
- This module investigates how the needs of diverse learners are met in our educational system.
- You’ll critically evaluate provision for learners who may be marginalised both in society and education, such as Looked After Children, EAL learners, Refugees and Asylum Seekers and Traveller children amongst others.
Embedding Inclusive Leaderful Practice (20 credit points)
- This module focuses on how leaderful practitioners respond to the constant changes, challenges and expectations of education structures, systems and policy.
- You’ll look at national, local, and setting level implications across the sector.
Multi-disciplinary Working with Agencies, Families & Settings (20 credit points)
- This module explores the multi-professional nature of inclusive practice, focusing on the requirements of working with agencies across health and care.
- You’ll consider the importance of learners and their families at the centre of decisions about their own education and care provision.
- A short professional placement experience will support your understanding of sectors who work in partnership with inclusive education, families and individual learners with a range of SEND.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves
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How you're taught
How will I study?
We've introduced flexible and innovative ways of learning and teaching to develop your study skills and understanding of the integration of theory and practice.
Learning and teaching methods include:
- active collaborative learning
- lectures
- seminar discussions
- practical and project work
- workshops
- placements, experiential learning and work-like experiences.
How will I be assessed?
There are no formal exams during these courses; we use a variety of assessment types to allow you to demonstrate your strengths across a number of skill sets.
Excellent placement opportunities
Throughout this course there are several opportunities to explore different career ambitions and gain workplace experience. To help you acquire real-work experience, you will be provided different work placements each year, in a variety of educational settings.
Putting your studies into practice helps you to understand your subject and its application in real-life. Placement opportunities support you both professionally and personally by ensuring you develop the key skills that will make you more employable at the end of your studies.
How you're assessed
- Year 1 coursework
- Year 2 coursework
- Year 3 coursework
Contact hours
Throughout your studies, your teaching will be a mixture of in-person teaching and independent study.
- Year 1 lectures/seminars/workshops, independent study, placement
- Year 2 lectures/seminars/workshops, independent study, placement
- Year 3 lectures/seminars/workshops, independent study, placement
Careers and employability
Your career development
What skills will I develop?
You develop specific skills relating to educational issues, theories of learning, equality and diversity, education policy and practice, creativity and education, and a general understanding of education in social, political and economic contexts.
You also gain skills that are useful in a variety of job sectors:
- communication skills - presenting effective oral and written arguments
- IT skills
- research and analytical skills
- interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team
- problem-solving skills
- organisation and time management skills - prioritising your academic/part-time workloads and reflecting on and improving personal practice.
How can I boost my career prospects?
Achieving Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) through completion of the PGCE or equivalent postgraduate qualification is a popular route for Education graduates.
Alternatively, you may wish to take a Masters course in education or a related social science in order to develop your understanding of the theory, research and policy of education, and to enhance your professional knowledge, skills and practice. Some Education graduates go on to study for a PhD in education.
Your future career
This Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion degree will provide a framework for a wide variety of possible careers. As well as roles based in schools and the wider childcare and education sector, students may also consider sectors such as adult care and education, hospitals and hospices, children’s charities, local authorities and services and many others. Our graduates* are following a variety of career paths including roles as:
- Graduate Teaching Assistant
- Family Liaison or Family Support Worker
- Learning Support Worker or Intervention Leader
- Unqualified Teacher
- Nursery Worker
- Children's Centres Worker
- Children's Services and Portage
- Parent and Child Groups and Intervention Leader
- Support Worker
- Employment Facilitator
- Youth Worker
- Programme Provider or Manager
- Play Worker
- Fundraising and Finance manager.
Links with industry
We involve industry experts in our courses in a number of ways.
- We consult with employers when we design and update our courses.
- We ensure you are prepared to meet the demands of the workplace by continually checking the currency and validity of our courses with employers.
- You will have the opportunity to have a work placement (if not already in paid or voluntary employment).
- Employers may input directly into your course through guest lectures, projects, and other work-related activities.
Learn a new language
Alongside your study you also have the opportunity to learn a new language. The University Language Programme (ULP) is available to all students and gives you the option of learning a totally new language or improving the skills you already have.
Learning a new language can:
- enhance your communication skills
- enrich your experience when travelling abroad
- boost your career prospects.
Find out more about the University Language Programme.
If you’d like to know more about NTU’s groundbreaking Employability Promise, and the support you’ll receive both during and after your course, visit our Careers and Employability page.
Guaranteed interview scheme: teacher-training
One of the benefits of the course is the broad knowledge and experience you will gain. This experience may lead you to consider teaching, even if you have not considered this as a career before.
If you complete your degree, you are guaranteed an interview for a PGCE Primary teacher-training course at NTU during your final undergraduate year (subject to places being available).
Terms and conditions apply:
- Applications will be withdrawn and not be progressed to interview stage once all places are filled on relevant courses.
- Interviews are subject to you meeting the essential entry criteria for the PGCE course at the time of application, such as GCSE requirements, degree grade.
- An interview does not guarantee an offer to study on the course.
Alumni Discount
Students continuing with postgraduate study at NTU may be eligible for 20% off postgraduate course fees as part of our Alumni Discount.
Campus and facilities
You’ll mainly be studying in the Ada Byron King building, home to Nottingham Institute of Education.
Our self-contained, community-focused Clifton Campus has been designed to keep our students busy between lectures. Catch-up with your coursemates in the Pavilion’s barista café and Refectory; brainstorm group presentations in chic and stylish study spaces; enjoy some proper R&R in The Point, home of our Students’ Union. The campus also hosts the multimillion-pound Clifton Sports Hub, offering great options for everyone — whatever your interests, and however competitive you’d like to get!
You’re also right next to the bright lights of Nottingham — one of Britain’s top 10 student cities, and one of Europe’s top 25. All through termtime, a dedicated on-campus bus service will get you to the heart of the action (and back) in under 25 minutes. You’ll find a city stuffed with history, culture, and well-kept secrets to discover at your leisure: enjoy lush green spaces, galleries, hidden cinemas and vintage shopping by day, and an acclaimed food, drink and social scene by night.
Take our virtual tour to get a real feel for the campus.
Entry requirements
UK students
Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications.
Contextual offer: 104 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications.
To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.
Additional requirements for UK students
An Enhanced with Barred List(s) DBS check and a satisfactory placement suitability check.
Contextual offers
If you don’t quite meet our entry requirements, we might be able to make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and your individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer, and we get data from UCAS to help make these decisions. We do this because we believe everyone with the potential to succeed at NTU should have the opportunity to do so, no matter what barriers you may face.
Meeting our entry requirements
Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS Tariff points attached to specific grades, including A-levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our Tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.
Other qualifications and experience
NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.
We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.
Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International students
Academic entry requirements: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four A levels. We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.
English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.
Additional requirements for international students
An Enhanced with Barred List(s) DBS check and a satisfactory placement suitability check.
If you need help achieving the academic entry requirements, we offer a Foundation preparation course for this degree. The course is offered through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC) based on our City Campus.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
Sign up for emails
Sign up to receive regular emails from the International Office. You'll hear about our news, scholarships and any upcoming events in your country with our expert regional teams.
Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
Fees and funding
UK students
- see the fees for this course, as well as information about funding and support.
£9,535 per year
Find out about the extra support we may be able to provide to help pay for uni, including NTU bursaries and scholarships.
You will need to pay tuition fees for each year that you are at university. The tuition fees, including the placement year and study abroad options are subject to government policy and may change in future years of study.
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but we don’t want you to feel anxious or confused about it. Visit our fees and funding pages if you have any concerns.
International students
- see the fees for this course, as well as payment advice and scholarships.
- £17,500 per year
You will need to pay tuition fees for each year that you are at university. The tuition fees might increase from the second year of your undergraduate course, in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government.
Scholarships
We offer international scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for a scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.
Living costs
See our advice on managing your money and the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham.
Paying fees
As an international student, you'll need to make an advance payment of £6,000 when you've accepted your offer to study at NTU. You'll then need to pay your tuition fees in full, or have an agreement to pay in two further instalments, before the start date of your course.
Find out how and when to pay your fees, including information about advance payments, instalment dates and how to make payments securely to the University.
Enquiries
If you have any queries relating to advance payments or arrangements to pay, please contact our friendly and experienced international enquiries team.
Additional costs
Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses. There are just a few additional things you may need to budget for:
Textbooks and library books
Most modules will recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential textbooks, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) - meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.
Printing and photocopying costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the printing and photocopying information on the Library website.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.
Fees and funding advice
For more advice and guidance, you can email our Student Money Team or phone us on +44 (0)115 848 2494.
How to apply
Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can. Just click the Apply button at the top of the page and follow the instructions for applying. Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.
Writing your application and personal statement
Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only make a decision based on what you tell us. So include all of your qualifications and grades, including resits or predicted grades.
Your personal statement is a really important part of your application. It’s your chance to convince us why we should offer you a place! You’ve got 4,000 characters to impress us. Make sure you use them to show how your skills and qualities are relevant to the course(s) you’re applying for. For more hints and tips, take a look at our page on how to write a good personal statement.
Diversity of our students
We are committed to promoting a diverse and representative body of teacher trainees. We welcome applications from under-represented groups, such as male applicants, applicants from BME communities, mature applicants and those with disabilities.
All applicants welcome
We welcome applications from prospective students with a range of qualifications and experience, and all are assessed on an individual basis. Mature applicants who do not meet the standard entry criteria can still be considered providing they have relevant experience to compliment any qualifications. All applicants will need to apply through UCAS.
Keeping up-to-date
After you’ve applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page. Good luck with your application!
You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.
Application advice
Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example. After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Writing your personal statement
Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
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